p cubed presentationshttp://ffolliet.com
Every great presentation is the product of its story (p1), the supportive media (p2) and the delivery of that (p3).
Tue, 12 Mar 2019 11:45:33 +0000 en-GB
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3232113670882Copying is a complimenthttp://ffolliet.com/2019/03/12/copying-is-a-compliment/
http://ffolliet.com/2019/03/12/copying-is-a-compliment/#respondTue, 12 Mar 2019 11:44:42 +0000http://ffolliet.com/?p=1621Copying is a compliment whether in art, fashion or presentation skills. Noticing the impact or effect that something has and then utilising it personally is part of life and should definitely be part of the development of a presenter. This...Read more

]]>Copying is a compliment whether in art, fashion or presentation skills. Noticing the impact or effect that something has and then utilising it personally is part of life and should definitely be part of the development of a presenter. This is clear from both good and bad examples. Try something new received during a presentation and reflect on the value. It is a compliment to the person who first displayed.

No great artistic creation springs from nothing. There are influences and inspiration and, presentation skills, whether it is accepted or not, are a creative skill. The use of Microsoft Blue Wave template, is, unbelievably copying as a compliment. An audience member has seen the template in use and whether purposefully or not, subsequently decided to use that template in a presentation. The same is true for tiny references and pie charts. These are all bad habits, copied. Copying is not always a good thing.

As an audience member with an interest in presentation skills start to take notice of presentations. A useful technique is based simply around the p cubed approach observing the message, the media and the delivery. Reflect on why a message was effective, how did the media impress and for what reason was the delivery engaging. Then, look to develop the next presentation and incorporate that facet.

It is foolish to copy directly the message in a presentation as it is specific to an individual speaker, an individual audience and a specific time. Observe the construction of the message, identify the key steps within this and factors that make the message accessible and memorable. A message is not a data download but the nature of the rhetoric, the focus of explanation or the skill in story telling all develop this message. Copying that is a compliment.

The media in a presentation is a result of creative skills, hopefully, and to copy is a compliment. Notice the restraint involved, the use of colour and font and how slides illustrate single points rather than a multiplicity. The most striking supportive media is often elegant in its simplicity. Fonts should appropriate for the message and improve its impact. Data slides must be clear and intelligible within three seconds. If style has been effective, recognise that and try to copy it later.

Delivery of a presentation makes a huge impact on its value. Many skills can be observed and copied. Take note of body and spoken language of presenters. Consider how they “work” a room to involve all sections of the audience. Recognise the difference that a relaxed approach brings and even how mistakes can be accepted and built upon to maximise the impact of a presentation. Copy those things that impress.

Feedback to a presenter, if considered and appropriate, can make a huge difference in development of the skill. It is not appropriate to deliver a step by step breakdown of sections with personal suggestions for improvement to anyone that has not personally requested that of you prior to delivery. That is what a presentation buddy is for. It is however, hugely valuable, to have an audience member greet you after a presentation with a specific, positive reflection, given as a compliment. “Your presentation really impressed me, I liked the structure of your message. Could you share with me how you developed that? I would like to be able to do the same?” Copying is a compliment.

]]>http://ffolliet.com/2019/03/12/copying-is-a-compliment/feed/01621Speak Chinesehttp://ffolliet.com/2019/02/25/speak-chinese/
http://ffolliet.com/2019/02/25/speak-chinese/#respondMon, 25 Feb 2019 14:33:59 +0000http://ffolliet.com/?p=1614Approximately 13% of the world speak Chinese. That does not mean you should deliver your presentation in Mandarin to the Yorkshire Paediatric Trainees Annual Scientific Meeting. There is no single way to present, not even p cubed presentation style. We...Read more

]]>Approximately 13% of the world speak Chinese. That does not mean you should deliver your presentation in Mandarin to the Yorkshire Paediatric Trainees Annual Scientific Meeting. There is no single way to present, not even p cubed presentation style. We must communicate effectively with our specific audience not simply speak Chinese because lots of people do.

I really wish it was acceptable to present without slides…— Amanda Pickering (@the_learnaholic) February 25, 2019

The astute will recognise that actually no-one who would speak Chinese as that is a very broad classification of over ten individual languages each with multiple dialects. Generic application of TimesNewRomancentrejustifiedmicrosoftbluewavebulletpointedlistsreadoutverbatim as a presentation style is as helpful as telling someone to speak Chinese.

]]>http://ffolliet.com/2019/02/25/speak-chinese/feed/01614Summary slideshttp://ffolliet.com/2019/02/21/summary-slides/
http://ffolliet.com/2019/02/21/summary-slides/#respondThu, 21 Feb 2019 11:09:29 +0000http://ffolliet.com/?p=1608Summary slides are the latest fashion. Variously titled “Take home messages”, “conclusions” and “summary” they are increasing in use and sadly in number during presentations. They are the message the presenter wants the audience to take home and they conclude...Read more

]]>Summary slides are the latest fashion. Variously titled “Take home messages”, “conclusions” and “summary” they are increasing in use and sadly in number during presentations. They are the message the presenter wants the audience to take home and they conclude the presentation. They should summarise in one sentence the key message, not the presentation. They are never multiple.

Every presentation should have a message. That must last longer than the presentation itself. It must be memorable. The simple science of memory is The number of facts that can be retained is very small, smaller if the audience do not make a conscious effort to learn. A message is the seed from which learning and understanding can be built and remembered.

Spaced repetition is a valid educational technique. The repetition of key facts within a session potentiates their retention. It follows that the key message, repeated through the presentation will be better remembered. Repeating a large number of facts as a “summary” will of course have some impact. Without emphasis as to the key facts, overwhelming the memory capacity may leave the audience with one or two facts but these will be disconnected. Rather like remembering 4 digits within a telephone number. And not in the correct order. Spaced repetition of the key message is most effective.

The grammar in the introductory paragraph was intentional. There can only be one conclusion. The presentation should build naturally to a brief and memorable summary of the one key message. It is not compulsory for this to be a slide, the best slide in the world may be the most appropriate. Please don’t use a sunset or the shaking hands. Then stop. Conclude. Finish. Don’t go on. And don’t just say, “Thank you.” Stop.

With thanks to Salim Rezaie for the graphic and to Rob Fenwick for the question. Did you see what I did with spaced repetition? And the conclusion?

]]>http://ffolliet.com/2019/02/21/summary-slides/feed/01608Message not storyhttp://ffolliet.com/2019/02/18/message-not-story/
http://ffolliet.com/2019/02/18/message-not-story/#respondMon, 18 Feb 2019 13:10:30 +0000http://ffolliet.com/?p=1603Message not story is the basis of a good presentation. We must communicate effectively with our audience and leave them with a message regarding the information delivered not simply a story about it or, even worse, a list of facts....Read more

]]>Message not story is the basis of a good presentation. We must communicate effectively with our audience and leave them with a message regarding the information delivered not simply a story about it or, even worse, a list of facts. The p1 encapsulates the message to be delivered.

Story as narrative has a place in presentation but must be careful constructed and its purpose or analogy explained. All effective presentations are a message, not all contain story. I’m grateful for the opportunity to refine my message and improve.

]]>http://ffolliet.com/2019/02/18/message-not-story/feed/01603What is p cubed presentation style?http://ffolliet.com/2019/02/16/what-is-p-cubed-presentation-style/
http://ffolliet.com/2019/02/16/what-is-p-cubed-presentation-style/#respondSat, 16 Feb 2019 12:47:18 +0000http://ffolliet.com/?p=1589What is p cubed presentation style? A radical approach to presentations, based in science that aspires to help presenters everywhere deliver effective presentations, engage with their audiences and share insights, inspiration and ideas so that they are retained rather than...Read more

]]>What is p cubed presentation style? A radical approach to presentations, based in science that aspires to help presenters everywhere deliver effective presentations, engage with their audiences and share insights, inspiration and ideas so that they are retained rather than lost in time, like tears in rain. It is not just about pretty slides. It’s not just fashion. It is about effective communication.

A presentation is made of three component parts; the story (p1), the supportive media (p2) and the delivery of these (p3). The value of a presentation is the product of these three factors, the p cubed value. This is the basis of the p cubed concept and gives the structure to the majority of blog posts and, the best presentations. The actual p cubed presentation style is yours. How you deliver that presentation is down to you as a creative person.

Every great presentation starts with a great p1, the story. If I could go back I might change this to “message” instead of “story” but the two concepts are appropriate. A great presentation is about the transfer of something from the presenter to the audience. That cannot simply be facts but must be tailored for the individual audience and made accessible and memorable. That may be in the terms of a story but ultimately is its message. How you construct that message is down to you as a creative person.

There is no p cubed presentation style of delivery. Clearly I have my own approach to presentations but this varies for keynote speeches, teaching and scientific meetings. The delivery of the message and the supportive media must engage the audience, be effective in terms of volume and projection as be within the time constraints of the meeting. Preparation and practice are the foundations of this, supported by effective feedback, reflection and coaching. How you deliver that message and supportive media is down to you as a creative person.

There is no p cubed style of presentations. There is an approach to the construction of message and supportive media that is based in psychological science and the principles of good design. There are many great presenters who have never heard of p cubed, ffolliet or Ross Fisher. This is not the only way to deliver great presentations. How you deliver your great presentation is down to you as a creative person. I am merely offering some suggestions.

]]>http://ffolliet.com/2019/02/16/what-is-p-cubed-presentation-style/feed/01589the five p’s of presentationhttp://ffolliet.com/2018/12/28/five-ps-of-presentation/
http://ffolliet.com/2018/12/28/five-ps-of-presentation/#respondFri, 28 Dec 2018 13:26:16 +0000http://ffolliet.com/?p=1579The five p’s of presentation are planning, preparation, consistency, practise and performance. An understanding of the place and importance of each of the 5 p’s of presentation will transform any piece from just being one of the many average presentations...Read more

]]>The five p’s of presentation are planning, preparation, consistency, practise and performance. An understanding of the place and importance of each of the 5 p’s of presentation will transform any piece from just being one of the many average presentations delivered to something of value that will have a lasting impact on the audience.

The first of the five p’s of presentation is planning. The amount of time may be calculated giving one to five minutes per audience member and then adding some factor of the importance of the event. Decide on the amount of time required and then plan to construct the story (p1), plan the illustration of this (p2) and plan the practise required for the best delivery (p3). This plan is essential to ensure each of these factors receives adequate time. Highlight the date in the diary and plan accordingly.

The second of the five p’s of presentation is preparation. No great presentation is delivered off the cuff and every good presentation could be improved by better preparation. Preparation involves understanding the audience needs; brainstorming the topic from that perspective; clarifying a single message and structuring the supportive discussion. This preparation is fundamental to success.

The third of the five p’s of presentation is consistency. This consistency within the supportive media of image, font and colour adds elan to the message. The irritation that the third p is a c is an example of the impact of consistency.

]]>http://ffolliet.com/2018/12/28/five-ps-of-presentation/feed/01579structure helpshttp://ffolliet.com/2018/12/17/structure-helps/
http://ffolliet.com/2018/12/17/structure-helps/#respondMon, 17 Dec 2018 18:56:52 +0000http://ffolliet.com/?p=1565Structure helps both the presenter and the audience. It underpins the message, the media and the delivery. Structure is essential. Without structure a presentation is challenging to deliver, seldom has impact and is easily forgotten; the value will be lost,...Read more

]]>Structure helps both the presenter and the audience. It underpins the message, the media and the delivery. Structure is essential. Without structure a presentation is challenging to deliver, seldom has impact and is easily forgotten; the value will be lost, in time, like tears in rain.

The value of structure should become clear during the brainstorming part of preparation. It is a worthwhile formal step to try to group ideas. There is no “right” way to do this but it allows a presenter to find a message, a discussion or a challenge within their topic that will engage the audience. Those three steps should lead to the key message. This is the arc of a presentation.

Most presentations, whether they are scientific, business or dramatic have three acts. The magic of three is hard to deny. Even now you can hear threes in you mind; “liberte, egalite, fraternite”; “Government of the people, by the people, for the people” and even “sex and drugs and rock and roll”. Or the three examples listed. Three sections make up an excellent structure.

Structure helps illustrate a message. The p2 can highlight the structure in many ways including obvious visual clues. This does not mean numbers or titles but can be consistency of image, colour or content. The p2 should add to the message and that visible mirroring of structure adds to the overall value.

The best presentations are engaging and may seen spontaneous. This “spontaneity” comes from planning, practise but mostly from structure. An introduction, three steps and a conclusion are the basis of every great presentation. Within each step there can be substeps but they are best marked, again, in thirds. Memorising this basic structure allows the presenter space within which to engage, extemporise and focus as appropriate to the audience. It helps balance the content and ensures that the climax is reached within the time allocated.

Structure helps the presenter but also the audience. The structure itself should not be clear to recipients but be implicit in the progress of the presentation leading the audience to understand, achieve or answer the key point immediately before it is delivered. This structure helps maximise the impact of the presentation.

]]>http://ffolliet.com/2018/12/17/structure-helps/feed/01565Women presentershttp://ffolliet.com/2018/11/05/women-presenters/
http://ffolliet.com/2018/11/05/women-presenters/#respondMon, 05 Nov 2018 17:12:16 +0000http://ffolliet.com/?p=1516I’ve been privileged to share the stage with some amazing presenters. I wondered out loud with colleagues whether there were specific challenges pertinent to women delivering presentations. I’m really grateful to a friend who spoke immediately before me at Fix17...Read more

]]>I’ve been privileged to share the stage with some amazing presenters. I wondered out loud with colleagues whether there were specific challenges pertinent to women delivering presentations. I’m really grateful to a friend who spoke immediately before me at Fix17 ; the inspiring Sara Gray. Another guest post.

When I am preparing a talk, I don’t spend a lot of time considering gender issues. Accordingly, I struggled at first with this post, because I would give the same general advice to a speaker regardless of gender:

1. know your content inside out

2. bring confidence and enthusiasm

3. wear something that won’t mess with the microphone

4. authenticity and honesty engage audiences

5. practice, practice, practice

But with further reflection, I realized that there may be some unique challenges for female presenters that are worth discussing.

Delivering the talk itself

Having researched and practiced and prepared, you arrive at a conference ready to take the stage. And then, as you peruse the program, you realize that you are the only woman talking that day. In fact, you are the only woman speaking at the whole damn conference. Sometimes this goes unmentioned (unnoticed?), but occasionally this can lead to the supreme awkwardness of being introduced as the “token woman” at a conference. I have had this sorry experience, and it’s teeth-grittingly awful. Smile graciously, ignore the slur, and crush the talk so that your foolish moderator can see the obvious value of inviting diversity to the stage.

The talk itself is generally straightforward, because if you are well prepared, you can deliver a great presentation no matter who is listening. Unless you are speaking about a gender issue, I rarely find my XX chromosomes relevant during my talk. Although there is the prickly issue of vocal register that arises during talks and podcasts. I’ve never been asked to lower my tone of voice to sound more masculine, although I know of female speakers who have received this feedback. I think this is absurd. I’m just going to use my own voice. And if you don’t like it, you don’t need to ask me back, no hard feelings. Now, I think we can agree that giggling like a school girl probably doesn’t go over huge on a professional stage. But we knew that already. Keep it polished, professional and you.

Taking questions

While the vast majority of audience members are really very respectful to speakers, you will run across the rare misogynist who hates you before you even start speaking. On the upside, you are the one with the microphone, and generally the audience won’t get to talk unless there is a question session after your presentation. If you are a woman, you have met these guys before and you probably already have an approach. My two cents? Keep any interaction professional and courteous and brief. Do not let them monopolize the mic.

There is also the uncomfortable (and thankfully uncommon) circumstance where an audience member approaches you after the talk to discover your marital status, or your phone number, or your room number. Most women have undoubtedly faced this before (more commonly in pubs and clubs). Do as you will. I try to stay mindful that the audience gets to fill out feedback forms about me, anytime they want, which usually restrains me from overt rudeness. I generally laugh and turn it into a joke (perhaps they really were joking?) and move on to the next person with a legitimate question.

Getting feedback

Female presenters will get a lot of feedback about their talks. So will men. Overall, I love feedback about my narrative or design or presentation skills. This feedback is useful to help me reflect and improve.

But perhaps uniquely, women get feedback about their aesthetics. Both in person and through social media. Including comments about your shoes, clothes, make-up, hair and overall hotness (or lack thereof). Perhaps men also get similar feedback, but I’m not sure. Guys, do people ever come up to you and say “You look better with your hair up, you should have done that for the talk”?

I used to be offended by this focus on irrelevancies. While I appreciate the concepts of looking professional and making a good first impression, many of these comments veer much closer to trolling. These days I try to bring a growth mindset to this feedback. There is always something to learn – sometimes I learn from the feedback itself, more commonly it is an opportunity to reflect on how (or how not) to give effective feedback professionally.

Getting invited

Some conferences won’t ever invite a woman to speak, no matter how excellent you are. It’s usually the ones with all-male organizing committees. Don’t take it personally. You probably don’t want to hang out with the Neanderthals anyway. And in this day and age, more and more conferences are starting to gender-balance their faculty, which may increase opportunities for women to speak in the future, at certain venues.

And please don’t forget that asking to speak is perfectly legitimate. As is asking to chair or moderate a session. Network with the conference organizers, and pitch your ideas a year (or two) in advance. Give them a serious, considered offer. And then follow-up like you mean it. Men ask all the time, while many women sit on the sidelines waiting to be chosen. Stand up and ask, your ideas are worth it.

Voting with your feet (and also your money)

Considering a conference? Find out if they have a gender-balanced organizing committee or speaking faculty. Ensure that your diverse role models are up there on the stage, paving the way to a better future. Filling out a feedback form? Ask for the speakers you want to see next year, and make sure you see yourself reflected up on that stage. We all need role models.

Speaking of diversity, it is certainly worth noting that while female speakers experience a number of challenges, that these issues are equally relevant (if not more so) for other minority groups, whether the differences are based on skin tone, religion, sexual orientation, or physical ability.

Bottom line

It can feel awkward to be the minority speaker. Although it’s almost worse when it starts to feel normal; in medicine we rapidly become accustomed to a mostly male hierarchy as our cultural norm. I’m looking forward to the day when diversity on our stages feels normal. When we no longer have to think about it, and push for it and advocate for it.

Hopefully by the time my daughter reaches her podium, these issues will be behind us, and this post will be an amusing antique. Here’s looking at you, baby.

]]>http://ffolliet.com/2018/11/05/women-presenters/feed/01516Your scripthttp://ffolliet.com/2018/10/08/your-script/
http://ffolliet.com/2018/10/08/your-script/#commentsMon, 08 Oct 2018 13:19:51 +0000http://ffolliet.com/?p=1531Your script is what you want to say. You should write out precisely what you want to say and edit it until perfect.You should never read your script nor attempt to memorise it. You should put away to your script...Read more

]]>Your script is what you want to say. You should write out precisely what you want to say and edit it until perfect.You should never read your script nor attempt to memorise it. You should put away to your script to allow you to rehearse effectively. A great script is only the foundation of a great presentation.

The basis of a great presentation is the story (p1). It is the conversion of the “what” of the data into the “so what” for the specific audience and time. Your script is the distillation of knowledge, passion and insight designed not for teaching but for learning. It is the culmination of planning. To prepare this takes a significant amount of time, creativity and effort. It never “just happens”.

Your script is not what is delivered to the audience. That is a recitation, a play or movie. The script can only be used at the very first rehearsal. After that, the script should only be an item of reference. The audience do not hold a copy of the script nor expect that the delivery would adhere to that. Nor should the presenter hold a copy in their pocket. Using the script on stage during delivery will hugely degrade engagement with the audience. The best presentation is a performance interpreting the p1 and p2 as finalised at the last rehearsal.

What is then delivered in a great presentation is a reflection of preparation and performance. Failure to write out and edit a script means that the message is not as good as it might be. As the presentation is neither a data download nor a recitation, adherence to a script is not required. Preparation and practise render the script secondary to the ultimate delivery of the message not individual words. A great script is only the foundation of a great presentation.

]]>http://ffolliet.com/2018/10/08/your-script/feed/11531Bloom’s taxonomyhttp://ffolliet.com/2018/10/06/blooms-taxonomy/
http://ffolliet.com/2018/10/06/blooms-taxonomy/#respondSat, 06 Oct 2018 02:00:21 +0000http://ffolliet.com/?p=1526Bloom’s taxonomy is a classification of thinking, moving though six layers of complexity frequently described as a staircase from lower to higher ordered thinking. Initially proposed in 1954 and revised in 2001 it offers a framework to consider teaching and...Read more

Bloom’s taxonomy is a classification of thinking, moving though six layers of complexity frequently described as a staircase from lower to higher ordered thinking. Initially proposed in 1954 and revised in 2001 it offers a framework to consider teaching and learning. This site does not attempt a dissection of pedagogy merely offers the insight that Bloom’s Taxonomy is possibly the most succinct way of explaining why, ”Your presentation sucks because science.” Presentations, as routinely constructed and delivered, do not work because they fail to offer or guide the recipient through any progression across Bloom’s taxonomy.

Benjamin S Bloom thought about thinking. In 1948, with a group of educators, he described the three domains of thinking; cognitive, affective and psychomotor. Within each domain it was proposed that students would move from knowledge through comprehension and application to analysis, synthesis and ultimately evaluation. The taxonomy was revised from noun forms to verb forms in 2001 describing remembering, understanding, applying, analysing, evaluating and creating of the learning. Essentially, this is the description of the learning journey that the educator, in a relationship with the learner, will facilitate.

Acquisition of knowledge is not the aim of education, it is merely the foundation. Effective presentations need to actively involve the learner in progress across Bloom’s taxonomy. Simply delivering facts is not teaching. Hearing facts is not learning.

Pedagogy is the study of method and practice of teaching. “PowerPoint” learning of data entered into a presentation and read out to passive learners fails at every level to facilitate the learning journey described by the taxonomy. The nature of delivery and importantly reception of the majority of presentations aims at the very base of the classification, delivery of information. The psychological evidence is clear that retention of data delivered in this manner is minimal, even when learners are actively engaged. It is thus almost impossible to progress. The continual bombardment with information actively inhibits the opportunity to understand, apply analyse or evaluate lest the “learner” fall behind. The belief underpinning this approach to education is simplistic and anachronistic. Transmission of knowledge is not learning. Reading out PowerPoint is not teaching. Listening to PowerPoint being read out is not learning. This is The Matrix.